After spending his prep career impressing high school football fans all over the state, freshman Jake Sharp made quick work in impressing his college coaches at Kansas University.

So much so that, 10 days before preseason practices even begin, KU coach Mark Mangino doesn’t see a need to red-shirt him this season.

“Sharp’s going to do something,” Mangino said Tuesday at Big 12 Conference media days. “I don’t like to talk about freshmen, but this guy is unbelievable in his maturity and his approach.”

Sharp put up monster numbers while at Salina Central, leaving high school as one of the state’s best-ever running backs in terms of statistics. He committed to Kansas early, signed in February and arrived in June to take part in summer workouts.

While KU’s running back fleet is fine up top with senior Jon Cornish, freshman Angus Quigley and junior Brandon McAnderson, Mangino said Sharp probably will see work on “more than one” special teams unit. He wouldn’t speculate if returning kicks and punts were a definite, but they are possible.

“He’s a workaholic. He’s one of the hardest-working freshmen I’ve ever seen,” Mangino said. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t help us at least on special teams this year.”

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Moving on: KU coaches and players have moved on from the loss of defensive tackle Eric Butler, who was declared ineligible this summer after a long process of petitioning the NCAA for another year.

Jake Sharp

Though Butler played just two years of college football, he started school at DeVry in 2001, which technically started his eligibility clock. The initial petition was denied in the spring, and the appeal was denied this summer.

“He has no other appeals processes left for him with the NCAA,” Mangino said. “It’s a definitive decision.”

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Under the cloud: Mangino said he was asked by KU athletic department officials not to comment on the Aug. 13 NCAA hearing, stemming in part from violations committed within the football program. That includes accusations of academic fraud committed by two former football graduate assistants.

“They don’t want me to speak publicly, and I’ll yield to their wishes,” Mangino said. “I think we’ve been transparent, we’ve cooperated fully, and I think at the end of the day, we’ll take whatever punishment is given to us and move on. I don’t think it will be a whole lot more than what we’ve already penalized ourselves.”

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Talks continue: Mangino shied away from a question regarding a possible contract extension in the works. Athletic director Lew Perkins said in April he was wanting to work on Mangino’s deal, which currently runs through the 2008 season.

“I’m not going to discuss publicly personal things like that. I don’t think its appropriate to discuss that,” Mangino said. “Let me just tell you that there’s talks taking place.”

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Still ailing: Sophomore running back Gary Green continues to be hobbled by an ailment that kept him out of spring and summer workouts. Though Mangino’s policy is to not discuss injury specifics, Green has been seen multiple times with a protective boot on his right foot.

“Gary has just been injured nearly the whole time he’s been with us,” Mangino said. “We’re hoping by training camp he’ll be ready to go, but there’s no guarantee. He just has a foot injury that’s just not coming together for him.”

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Mop tops: Both David Ochoa and Derek Fine showed up in Kansas City on Tuesday looking as if they completely forgot that barber shops do, in fact, exist.

Both had shaggy mops on their head, and they’re not alone. Though no team bonding is behind it, Ochoa, Fine, Mike Rivera, Ryan Cantrell, Kerry Meier and the king of all hair, Paul Como, have said “no thanks” to the possibility of a haircut during the offseason.

Ochoa said he’s keeping his haircut-less streak – currently at eight months – going through the season. Fine might get a touch-up done on his head soon, though.

“I don’t want a mullet,” Fine quipped.

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One gone: Mangino confirmed signee Jeremy Terry did not qualify academically and will not be at KU. He instead was placed at Butler County Community College in El Dorado. All the other signees from the 2006 class are good to go.

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Still healing: Back in Lawrence, Memorial Stadium still isn’t in 100 percent playing shape.

That’s because a light standard on the northeast side of the stadium that was damaged in the March microburst still hasn’t been put back up yet.

“They just dug the hole for the cement,” associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said, “it will be back up in mid-August.”

Workers dug a 40-foot hole that the standard will be put back in, which makes the power of the March storm all the more impressive.

KU played its April spring game without the light standard.

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Up next: Kansas players will wrap up summer conditioning workouts Thursday. They then will get a week off to go home and relax before reporting Aug. 3. First practice is Aug. 4.

KU’s media day will take place Aug. 8 at Memorial Stadium.